California teen dies after taking hit of synthetic marijuana

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The parents of a California teenager who died after smoking synthetic marijuana are speaking out to help prevent others from succumbing to this same fate.

KTLA reported that in mid-July 2014 Connor Eckhardt, 19, inhaled a hit of synthetic marijuana. He went into a coma and experienced brain swelling, according his parents.

“In a moment of peer pressure, he gave into that, thinking that was OK, it was somehow safe, and one hit later, he goes to sleep and never wakes up,” Connor’s father, Devin Eckhardt, said, reported KTLA.

“Like many other illegal drugs, synthetic marijuana is not tested for safety,” said a spokesperson from the AAPCC, “and users don’t really know exactly what chemicals they are putting into their bodies.”